Pages

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bowel shaking earthquakes of doubt and remorse...

[The video on the right is provided as a soundtrack for this post. You don’t need to watch it, just push play and listen while you read, that is, if you’re capable of two things at once.]

I’ve stated previously that my training right now is aimed towards a sub 50 minute time in the upcoming Bolder Boulder 10K. I’m just now starting to get into the heart of my training and I find myself struggling to keep up with the suggested paces and this is causing me to doubt my ability to run an 8 minute pace for 6.2 miles. I know, it must be hard for you to believe that someone as awesome as me would doubt his abilities but I’ll bet that even Superman had doubts and misgivings some of the time. Like about wearing those knee high red boots, come on Clark, only Supergirl can make that look work.

Fortunately, my choice of footwear is as awesome as it iswelldocumented so I don’t have to worry about looking like a tool in the wrong shoes or wearing white after Labor Day. No, all I have to worry about is running faster than a speeding bullet and that is proving to be a challenge. I’ve gone back and looked at my training runs leading up to last year’s Bolder Boulder to see if I’m any faster than I was back then, but if anything I think I might be slower. This is really quite frustrating and I might have to stop running all together if I don’t at least PR in the Bolder Boulder. It’s not all bad, I’ve been thinking that maybe I’d like to quit running anyway and devote more time to couch potatoing. Crashing and burning at the Bolder Boulder may give me just the excuse I need to stop running.

I blame my newly found slowness on running a marathon. I spent the bulk of the winter months focusing on increasing my mileage and I’m beginning to wonder if that was to the detriment of my speed. Is it possible that training for and running a marathon could make you slower at the 5K and 10K distances? And if so, why do you people keep on running them? I still have 2 months before the Bolder Boulder so there’s plenty of time to work on my speed deficiency (is there a vitamin I can take for that?) but I have to admit I’m not nearly as confident this year about a PR as I have been in past years.

You and I are about the same speed and in much the same situation. The marathon training might have slowed you down because you got comfortable at that pace. Unfortunately, the only cure is discomfort through regular speedwork.

My advice - and I'm even trying to follow it myself - is not to fixate on the PR, but aim for a pace that slightly exceeds what you've done recently.

I love that album! This was a great song off of it, but my personal favorite is "Nugget". Unfortunately I have to skip it when the kids are around. If you don't know why, check it out. It's on my IPod running playlist.

As far as the training, two months is a good long time to focus on speed. I think the base you've built up from the marathon training will serve you well at the 10k distance in the end and you will PR (given the right conditions, no injury, and the like). Good luck!

I am not sure what is wrong with you. After a marathon I tend to get faster. Unless I am injured. I finished the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge at Disney in January and have managed to set two PR's so far. One in a 30k and my first sub 2 hour half marathon. You should consider two-a-days. Or maybe some tune up races to get you speed on. Not you speed-o. Either way, you are the man for putting The Distance on. Now grow a set and act like it.

If Luke Skywalker had a blog, he would have written the same “poor me” post right after the droid was rocking him in the Millennium Falcon, or after he couldn’t lift his X-Wing Fighter out of the swamp. So don’t worry, you still get to kiss you sister, save the universe, and get a pr!

I thought this post was going to be about something else from the title. I got slower and fatter during marathon training. I got caught up in just trying to finish and putting everything else aside. I'm getting faster now though so you should be fine in 2 weeks.

First off, thanks a lot, man! You ran a MARATHON and this is the first I or, I'd wager, anyone else is hearing about it! This makes us look bad!

You have a blog - use it every once in a while for self promotion! Because if I come over here and see even just ONE MORE post by you about Habitat for Robber Barons or Bob Geldolf's Live-AIG - even though those are really worthy charities - I think I might have to put a bullet through my brainpan.

When is it gonna be you time around here, Mr. Vanilla?

Second: Why did you run a marathon if you hate it so much? Still. Even now.

I slowed down with marathon training, but it's coming back now. All you need is a little speedwork and a lot of drinking. I just ran my fastest 6 miler EVER with a hangover. So get drinking and you'll PR for sure (or be totally primed for being a couch potato...)

Err, two months is still an eternity when it comes to some speed work for a 10k. Hit about 10-12 sessions over the next 2 months and you'll blow your PR out of the water. C'mon now, get crack-a-lackin'.

Like everyone else said, marathon (and ultra) training makes you slower. But you've got two months to get your speed back, and once it's back along with your endurance base, well, others better watch out if you're in a race of ANY distance!

Holy jeezus I am so glad you have now given me an excuse for my slowness! I thought I had just pussed out on my last 5K and sandbagged when I came in at 27:49 but now I see that it is just the MARATHON training making me slow, not my chicken legs, scared-to-run-fast-and-feel-the-wind-in-my-hair wussy-a$$. Thank you Vanilla!